Two thousand more people died than would be expected over the course of a year
at 12 NHS hospitals, new figures disclose.

The details for all 141 general hospital trusts in England compare the number of deaths during 2011-12 with the number that would have been expected for the type of patients they were treating.

The highest death rate was at Northern Devon Healthcare Trust, where almost 20 per cent more patients died than would have been expected — a total of 198 “excess deaths” in 12 months.

Among the 12 trusts with the highest death rates, there were 2,270 more deaths than would have been expected.

North Cumbria University Hospitals, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Foundation Trust, George Eliot Hospital Trust and Walsall Healthcare Trust all had mortality rates that were between 17 and 19 per cent higher than expected.

At Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Foundation Trust, this meant an extra 260 deaths in a year.

The research was carried out by the health care analysts Dr Foster, led by Prof Sir Brian Jarman, emeritus professor of primary care at Imperial College, London.

Prof Jarman urged hospitals with the highest death rates to act swiftly on the findings, which should act as a “red flag”, warning them to examine the quality of care provided.

The statistics come as a public inquiry into the Stafford Hospital scandal prepares to deliver a devastating verdict on the culture of care there and the way in which the hospital’s death toll was allowed to rise for years as senior officials first ignored, then tried to discredit the data. Robert Francis QC will next week demand sweeping reforms to tackle a “culture of fear” in which managers ignored alarming evidence about failings in care as they attempted to protect ministers from criticism over Labour’s stewardship of the NHS.

Between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected between 2005 and 2008, amid “appalling” failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust.

The Francis inquiry has heard how in 2007 senior officials in Staffordshire spent a year on research, which concluded — wrongly — that the flaws lay with the data, instead of examining the quality of care at the hospital.

Cynthia Bower, chief executive of the health authority, was then promoted to run a new regulator for the health service, a position she held until last year.

The figures disclosed today have already prompted changes at some of the hospitals affected, which learnt of them last year. Executives at some of the trusts said they had acted to improve patient care after being warned of the excess death rates, which are described by experts as a “smoke alarm” for hospitals as they may indicate serious problems.

A Department of Health spokesman said trusts were expected to examine such data carefully and take action to ensure they were providing safe, high-quality care.

He said regulators used the data, along with other information, to target their inspections and ensure appropriate action was taken. However, Prof Jarman, a former president of the British Medical Association, and a leading authority on public health, gave a warning that in the past too many NHS managers had shown an “attitude of denial” in ignoring such data or discrediting it, rather than acting on the warnings.

“Years were wasted because too many people dismissed the statistics,” he said.

“The powers-that-be tried to ignore a very loud alarm bell. I hope that would not happen today, but I think we have some way to go in changing attitudes in the health service.”

He said he was concerned that Sir David Nicholson, the chief executive of the NHS, told the Francis inquiry he believed the events in Staffordshire were “singular” rather than reflecting more systemic failures in the service.

Sir David, who was recently appointed to run the NHS Commissioning Board, which comes into being in April, is expected to face harsh criticism from Mr Francis when the report is published.

The £13 million inquiry was ordered by the Government soon after it came into power, and has heard 137 days of evidence, from almost 300 witnesses, since October 2010.

The inquiry’s report, which will be handed to Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, a week on Tuesday, a day before publication, is expected to call for an overhaul of regulation to ensure poor managers are weeded out, and for better training for nurses and health care assistants.

It will also highlight a lack of regulation of managers. A Sunday Telegraph investigation showed how none of the executives who presided over the Stafford scandal was disciplined, and only one was suspended from working in nursing.

Ministers are now considering introducing a “blacklist” system of regulation for managers, meaning that those who preside over failure could be barred from taking similar positions in the NHS.

The trusts named in today’s statistics as performing poorly said they had taken action.

North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust said it had embarked on a drive to improve the safety and quality of patient care since learning about its high mortality rates.

Northern Devon Healthcare Trust said it was working to understand why its figures — known as Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios (HSMRs) were so high. A spokesman said that by another measure, used by the Department of Health, it was performing “as expected”. She said the high figure might reflect the fact that it runs several community hospitals, which tend to look after more patients towards the end of their lives.

Imogen Skelcher was delivered brain dead due to a series of critical failures by midwives during her mother's labour at the George Eliot Hospital (PA)

George Eliot Hospital Trust said its most recent figures showed an improvement, with mortality rates now 10 per cent above the average.

Kevin McGee, the trust’s chief executive, said: “It is important we acknowledge historic HSMR data as showing a time when figures were unacceptably high.”

Richard Kirby, chief executive of Walsall Healthcare Trust, said it began work to improve care as soon as it saw that figures were rising in 2011, with every death being reviewed by a senior doctor; more staff were provided at weekends and improvements were made to end-of-life care. The trust’s figures were now below average, he said.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Foundation Trust said the figures were between six months and 18 months old, and that its own data showed its mortality rate had since improved.